Sterling by Music Man S.U.B. Sting Ray 5 VSS

When I received the bass, it had several issues, including high action and the truss rod relief was excessively curved. These were both to be expected but additionally, I noticed a loud buzzing sound in the headstock when fretting the E-string on the 6th fret, and the saddle screws were scratching the bridge plate when I attempted to adjust the intonation. I contacted Thomann and discussed the possibility of having the bass repaired by a local luthier, but I ultimately decided to return the bass because it just felt bad.

I sent the bass back to Thomann with a string set and strap locks that I had ordered for the bass. A week later, I received a refund for everything except the bass. I thought that they might need to inspect the bass before issuing a refund, so I waited. After two days, I sent an email asking if there was a problem with the returned bass. The next day, I received an automatic delivery email stating that a replacement bass had been sent back to me.

Within five minutes, I called Thomann to inquire about the situation. They explained that customer service had mistakenly marked the bass for replacement instead of a refund, and then stated that I couldn't receive a refund until they found the bass that they had sent to me by mistake.

I had the tracking code for DHL, which indicated that the bass was still in Thomann waiting for pickup. However, instead of stopping the package, Thomann sent it on its way. They did provided me with two emails stating that they would get back to me when they had more information.

After a week, I called them again, but they told me that there was no new information and that they would get back to me later. I contacted the local postal service and discovered that Thomann had asked for the bass to be returned to them five days after my initial phone call.

At this point it has been two weeks since I received my refund for the other items, and I saw from the tracking number that the bass had been sent back to the sender yesterday. I scheduled a call with Thomann and informed them of this. They seemed unaware of it but promised to check with their supervisors and assured me that they would be able to refund me. Finally (hopefully).

This whole situation has been a big mess. I had nothing to do with their mistake and never asked for a replacement bass. At the time of writing this review, I have yet to receive my money back or confirmation that the money is on its way. I will definitely think twice before ordering from Thomann again after this experience.

Although the bass might receive a four-star rating from me if it were in working order, due to the frustration of the customer service experience and the issues with the instrument itself, I give it a two-star review.

Purely for studio use in my case, this instrument will appeal to those who like a traditional old-school Fender style bass, A cleaner playing technique pays dividends, it is not as forgiving of sloppy technique (like mine!) than a modern style instrument
It has a good throaty growl in the lower register and build quality is good for the price, the knobs and jack socket are solid & don't have any sideways movement.
On the downside, the low B has a slightly lower tension than the other strings which makes it slightly clanky to use, even when you've spent an entire day (like me!) working on the action. Also the tonal variation is quite narrow. It does what it does and perhaps isn't the most versatile instrument out there. But hey, it sounds great as it is & you have to bear in mind the price, it is a budget instrument for a 5-string bass.
In summary, if you're a Precision or Jazz Bass fan, you'll probably love it and it's ideal for a first 5-string.

Ich habe mir den Sterling by Music Man S.U.B. Sting Ray 5 als meinen "Main" Bass in einer Pop/Rock Coverband zugelegt.
Der Preis hat mir direkt zugesagt, da mein Budget relativ schmal ist.

Features:
Der S.U.B. Stingray 5 bietet zwar "nur" Lautstärkeregelung und einen 2-Band Equalizer aber keine Tonregelung. Dass ist aber nicht weiter tragisch, da die aktive 2-Band Elektronik einem Tonpoti in nichts nach steht. Die Saitenlage lässt sich leicht einstellen, sofern da etwas geändert werden muss da der Bass schon sehr gut eingestellt geliefert wurde.

Sound:
Zum Sound kann ich nicht viel sagen. Der bass kommt aus dem Hause Music Man und so klingt er auch.

Verarbeitung:
Im ersten Moment merkt man, dass man ein Instrument von guter Qualität in der Hand hat. Der Hals liegt gut in der Hand. Das Satinfinish sieht edel aus.
Auf den zweiten Blick offenbaren sich aber kleinere Makel. Ein Potiknopf sitzt nicht so fest wie die anderen. Das Weiß im Pickguard hat vereinzelt kleine schwarze Flecken, aber nichts was die Bespielbarkeit beeinflusst.

Fazit:
Ein guter Bass zu einem guten Preis.
Sofern man über ein paar kleinere Mängel hinweg sehen kann und den Bass zum spielen und nicht zum ansehen haben will.